Ema Cvečková

2004-05 Inbound from Slovakia

Date of Birth: February 12, 1987
Hometown: Martin, Slovakia
Sponsor: Žilina Rotary Club, District 2240, Slovakia

Host: High Springs Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA
School: Santa Fe High School

Ema's Bio

I live on the farm but in Slovakia I lived in a flat so it is big difference. I have 4 host brothers and sisters. My host brother Sam is now in Germany thanks to the Rotary Youth Exchange. My two sisters names are Alex and Jazz and two brothers are Sam and Jesse. My host mom's name is Lee and host dad's name is Terry. We have many animals like horses, donkeys, cows, chickens, sheep, goats, dogs and cat.

I was first time in my life in Disney World and it was big fun. In the USA I visited Silver Springs, Gulf of Mexico, and I witnessed my first hurricane and saw the first alligator. My experiences here are going great and I am adapting well. I will write again soon.

-Ema

September 14 Journal & Pictures

My arrival was planned in the date of 27^th of July but because of my cancelled flight from New York to Jacksonville I had to stay one night in hotel in NY so I came here July 28.

After few days I had my first big experience (after coming to US). I was in Silver Springs with Bob Rella and his wife Sherry and other exchange students. We had really good time and it was a lot of fun. Thanks Bob and Sherry.

Another weekend I was with Bob, Sherry and Asya (exchange from Russia) in Steinhatchee. We were scalloping in Gulf of Mexico and it was so great.

I first time met with my Rotary Club at a barbeque on August 2^nd. I ate a big hamburger and I had my first interview to the newspaper. It was nice to meet all of the members of my Rotary club. All of them are very nice people and it was nice evening.

Next weekend was my first hurricane and day after like hurricane Charley hit Orlando; I was in Disney world with my host sister Alex, her dad, step mom and stepsister. But for me was really amazing that half people in Orlando was without power and a lot of damage was in the city but Disney World looked like nothing had happened. I was in Magic Kingdom and Epcot and we had a great time. I went to my first movie in America and I ate a lot of popcorn and drank Coke like American tradition is. It was so cool.

17^th of August was the date of starting school. My first day was ok but I was really surprised how big chaos was there. All students were running through all campus and they tried to find their classes. First week was really crazy and I changed my schedule 3 times. J

20. -22. August was orientation meeting and I met all inbound exchange students. It was so good to meet all of them because that’s the people who have the same feelings like I have. We had a lot of activities and we had fun.

With beginning of September came time when everybody speaks about hurricane. In some of my classes we watched Weather Channel to see ‘what’s going on’. Hurricane Frances hit us on Sunday and we lost power on this day and we didn’t get back until Friday. SO IT WAS 6 DAYS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY and it was worse than camping (btw I don’t like camping). But I am still here and our house is on the same place too J

We are waiting for another hurricanes (Ivan, Javier).

Bye for now

Ema

October 10 Journal & Pictures

My second month here was much better. My English is getting better (I hope). It is easier in school so I can do more things after school. My tennis practices have started and I have very good horse riding lessons. This month was full of great things, which I want to write about. So I hope I will remember everything.

The first thing what I can’t forget is that my host family is great. I have really good time with them and we have a lot of fun. Everything was getting normal after Frances (hurricane) we could enjoy weekend with electricity. I saw great movie with my host mom and we were speaking about it for the next few days. We went to Rainforest Butterfly exposition with my host family and it was just amazing. 2000 butterflies flying around you and some of them you can touch when they sit on you. It was so wonderful.

Monday September 20 was totally busy day. I missed school because I was on Rotary lunching in Jax and we took some pictures with President of International Rotary who attended this meeting, I also met other exchange students so it was very nice. After I left Jax I had to go to Gainesville to take my senior pictures. That evening I was invited to come to the Rotary club of High Springs meeting. I had short speech about my country and me and I answered some questions. But they were very nice. I’ve got some invitations, which I am looking forward to (for example visit American trial – I met a judge, go trial horse back riding, go fishing). On Thursday I was so tired but very proud of myself.

That week went very quickly. I didn’t realize and it was Friday again and next big news was the hurricane is coming and probably will go straight north through Florida. I wasn’t scared because it was kind of like “Oh yeah next hurricane is coming again, whatever”. But it was pretty bad and close to us. But we had fun, we took some great pictures in the wind. We were 5 days without power but it wasn’t so bad like before. Next week in school was really crazy. In the beginning of my classes, teachers asked students how many of them are without power and actually ¾ class raised hands. After everything was getting back to normal again, next weekend (2-3. Oct.) we were in Sarasota to see my host dad’s dad. We were swimming in their swimming pool, and went to the beach. It was amazing how wonderful the beach is. We had a great time there. We were all playing in the water. We took a lot of (I can say) perfect pictures and had fun.

When I woke up on the Monday morning I wanted to go on the beach again. But I had to go to school. The week went very quickly :-). I registered for USTA (United States Tennis Association) and entered tournament in Ocala. All week I was so excited about it. On Saturday (9th of October) I went to Ocala with my host family to my first tennis tournament in United States. They watched my games and I won. My host family was proud of me and I was so happy. My host mom took a picture with my trophy.

I hope I didn’t forget anything.

Ema

January 3 Journal & Pictures

Well, it was such long time since I wrote last. But I should start where I left off. That actually means that I have to take my calendar (I write there everything what I need to do and remember) So back to October.

We had kind of a presentation about Rotary in my school and I was talking about the program and where I am from. I went to see the court and "American trials." I was so excited about that and it was so interesting and I really liked it because that's something for my future education. On Saturday 23rd almost all exchange students came with their host families and spent day together in DeLeon Springs. It was such a nice time because we spent time with host families but with each other too. A week later I helped with a Car show which was organized by my Rotary club. They had over 100 cars and I enjoyed that a lot. The next night was Halloween. It is quite different than what we have on the same date in my country. It is kind of a sad day. Here it is a day when you have fun, you go trick or treat, or have some parties. So it's much more fun here.

I played tennis a lot in November and I specially need to thank John Hill from my Rotary club cause he took me to one very good tennis club where I had chance to play with very good kids. I hope I will do that again (I need to find time and I hope the weather will stay and don't go lower -- then it's too cold for me to play). I went to some more tennis tournaments and I did pretty good. I stayed in St. Augustine for a night and went to the beach; the town is so nice and I wanna go there again. So I didn't even know and it was Thanksgiving time. I went with my host sister Alex to her Dad's house in Orlando. We had such an awesome time. We went to Sea World (what was like my wish to do). I saw the Shamu show and we got REALLY wet. We had traditional dinner with big family and I really like it. But what I was really surprised some kids in school asked me if we have Thanksgiving in my country. Usually I just smiled and said NO.:-) I am really thankful for everything, we did so many awesome things. I got back to school (that was really hard to go again) but just for 3 days.

We left on Thursday for Disney world trip. When I was talking to people from Orlando and I said that we went through all 4 parks in 3 days, they said it is almost impossible. But we did it and had awesome time:-). I think Al should put the picture of us almost dead after 12 hours in Epcot:-) on the web page. I think that fireworks in Epcot was so beautiful that I would stay there for another one. I wanna thank Rotary that we had the chance to have this amazing weekend all together. But it was just a beginning of probably most busy month in my life.

The next Friday, 10th of December, me and my host family went to Miami, where my host parents had a Christmas party. We stayed in beautiful hotels on the beach so I enjoyed walking on the beach (and it was December - isn't that cool:-). Alex and I actually woke up at 6.00 a.m. and went to the beach to watch sunrise (it is really special that I get up that early but I figured that I will probably never be there again so it's no time to be lazy). But what really sucks that it was cloudy and we couldn't see anything. Alex went back to the room to sleep but I stayed and was just walking on the beach. We went to the South beach what is also such a beautiful beach (I think every beach in Florida is beautiful, they probably had some key how to do it:-). I saw Versace's house where he was killed also on the South beach. I love Miami. And the whole trip was awesome (I would stay there). But it was time to move and to do other things.

We had a Christmas party with my Rotary club what was very nice. We flew on Friday 17th from Jax to New Orleans and it was actually just my second flight in my life (first was when I got here). We took a limo from airport in New Orleans. We stayed in a hotel in French Quarter. That part of town is like different world. It's right next to downtown with skyscrapers but the highest building in French Quarter is the old church (and it's the law). French Quarter is well known by two things bars and ghosts. We went to a ghost tour and they showed us the most "ghost" houses and we've got necklaces as a protection against ghosts to follow us. I don't believe in these things but I was really freaking out sometimes when you saw all the strange things. They know how to say the stories.....I had probably the best time since I've been here. My host parents were awesome and I think they are more my friends than parents. You are the best Lee and Terry. Thank you so much:-). But we had to leave after 5 days in New Orleans and we continued our "mission". We drove to Texas and stayed in my host mom parent's house for Christmas. I had so nice Christmas and I experienced Christmas morning opening gifts......that was fun:-) But something special happened in Beaumont (about one hour and half from Houston) it was snowing after 15!!! years. The weather is just crazy this year, now it's here about 75 F. We flew back from Houston on 27th. Of course I had kind a homesickness couple days after Christmas but I pretty much get over it now. Right next day we left for Orlando to Alex's dad's house for New Year. We had Christmas again:-). I have some New Years resolutions and it's pretty much it. For you guys who get here congratulation this is really, really long. I should write more often:-) I know. So I will have some pretty big changes in January as new host family what will be a new challenge and of course Sea camp:-)

All right that's it. Bye everybody.

Ema

May 2 Journal